Clean the brake pads and disc

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Owner at TRIPRO, The Netherlands

If they've been contaminated with oil then in my experience you'll struggle to salvage the pads. I've tried every tip going, from sanding them down, filing, scoring, alcohol, degreaser, blowtorches and ovens all to no avail.

If you want a sure-fire solution just buy some isopropanol and some new pads. Take the rotor off and clean it thoroughly (i.e. both surfaces and inside all the cutouts too), install the new pads and bed them in well.

In my experience the better you clean it all up to start with the better performance you'll get out of them over their lifetime.

Tom A has a solution for squeaky disc brakes.

I used WD-40 on mine. No squeaks, but then it doesn't stop any more either. :(

If the bike is new, take it back to the shop. If the bike is used you should redo the brakes anyway, since you have no idea what the previous owner did or didn't do to them. Again, I would take it to the shop and let them do it.

Edit: Oops, just noticed it is used. I would definitely take to the shop and let them do a once over and replace the brake pads.

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"...the street finds its own uses for things"

Well according to that other thread disc brakes require no maintenance and squeaking is never a problem :-)

If you clean the rotors and then ride it good and hard (to help clean off rust etc), that might be enough. If not, replace the pads. If it's still a problem, replace the rotors. (Sorry but that might be what it takes - welcome to disc brakes.)

also other easy stuff would be to make sure everything is tight- rotor lockring, q/r or thru axle, and brake caliper.

I see what you did there... ;-))